Chapter 652 - 227: I Dreamed You Died

In the living room, several people were chatting on the sofa.

"Madam, should we serve dessert now?" the nanny whispered, leaning close to the grandmother’s ear.

She and her husband were getting on in years and didn’t care for sweets. Her daughter and eldest grandson didn’t like them either, but her granddaughter did. She figured that since her eldest grandson’s wife wasn’t much older than her granddaughter, she probably liked sweets as well.

The dessert had been prepared for her granddaughter and her grandson’s wife. But she saw her grandson’s wife leaning back on the sofa, rubbing her stomach from time to time, looking like she was completely stuffed.

"Dear, would you like some dessert?" the grandmother asked Qin Mei.

Qin Mei paused, then looked at the grandmother and shook her head firmly. "Grandmother, I’m stuffed."

The grandmother chuckled. She wasn’t making fun of her; she just found Qin Mei’s reaction amusing.

"What about you, Jing Shan?" the grandmother asked, looking at Jie Jingshan.

Jie Jingshan thought for a moment before replying, "I’ll have some."

"I’ll go get it for Jing Shan," the nanny said, heading for the kitchen.

"Nanny, I’ll come with you," Jie Jingshan said, getting up to follow her.

The butler approached Jie Jingchen and said respectfully, "Eldest Young Master, the Master wishes to see you in the study."

"Alright, I understand," Jie Jingchen acknowledged with a nod.

Qin Mei’s hand, which had been rubbing her stomach, paused. ’He’s being called to the study for a private talk. What will they discuss? Business, or personal matters?’

"Meimei, I’ll be back in a little while," Jie Jingchen said to Qin Mei.

Qin Mei pressed her lips together without a word, her eyes following Jie Jingchen as he strode up the stairs.

"Xiao Mei, come sit over here." Mrs. Xie patted the empty spot beside her, gesturing for Qin Mei to move closer.

With Jie Jingshan having dessert in the kitchen and Jie Jingchen in the study, only the three women remained in the living room. As she and her mother chatted, Mrs. Xie couldn’t just let Qin Mei sit to the side in a daze. She wanted to be a good mother-in-law and bring her daughter-in-law into the conversation.

’One was his grandmother, the other his mother.’ Qin Mei felt immense pressure having to chat with them.

Instead of chatting with the two elders, she would much rather go back to her room or take a walk in the courtyard alone to let her food settle.

Steeling herself, Qin Mei got up and sat down next to Mrs. Xie.

Mrs. Xie habitually took Qin Mei’s hand and boasted proudly to her mother, "Mom, Xiao Mei’s medical expertise is on par with my teacher’s, if not even greater."

"I know." The grandmother didn’t doubt her daughter’s words. Her gaze on Qin Mei was full of gratification as she stated a simple truth. "Jing Shan is the best proof of that."

Mrs. Xie was at a loss for words. Even her own teacher had been unable to do anything for Jing Shan’s legs, yet Qin Mei had healed them.

The grandmother took Qin Mei’s other hand, her face wreathed in a sincere smile. Her daughter had told her that Qin Mei was from Yangcheng City, so she decided to speak Cantonese with her to close the distance between them.

And so, the grandmother began showering Qin Mei with praise in her less-than-fluent Cantonese.

’???’ Question marks flooded Qin Mei’s mind.

’The original owner of this body was from Yangcheng City, but I’m not. I’m from Sichuan. How about we chat in the Sichuan dialect instead?’

"Mom, Meimei can’t understand you," Mrs. Xie said, looking at her mother with amusement as she kindly came to Qin Mei’s rescue.

"..." A complicated expression crossed the grandmother’s face.

"I’m sorry, Grandmother, I really don’t understand," Qin Mei said with an embarrassed smile.

"Aren’t you from Yangcheng City?" The grandmother frowned. ’A person from Yangcheng City who can’t understand Cantonese? She must be kidding me.’

"The Yangcheng dialect and Xiangjiang Cantonese aren’t exactly the same," Mrs. Xie explained. "Although they’re both forms of Cantonese and are very similar, there are still some differences. The Yangcheng dialect is leaning more toward Mandarin these days, while Xiangjiang Cantonese has more foreign loanwords. The tones are different, too. The Xiangjiang accent is relatively softer, while the Yangcheng accent is a bit rougher."

Besides, her mother’s Cantonese wasn’t as good as her Mandarin to begin with.

The grandmother fell silent, reflecting on it. ’To put it bluntly, my Cantonese just isn’t standard.’

"Grandmother, I have amnesia," Qin Mei said, using it as her go-to excuse.

"Amnesia?" The grandmother was stunned, her gaze turning scrutinizing as she sized up Qin Mei. ’She forgot the Yangcheng dialect because of amnesia, yet she speaks such perfect Mandarin? Is that even possible?’

Mrs. Xie tapped her forehead. "I almost forgot about that. Xiao Mei has amnesia."

"How did she get amnesia? Why?" the grandmother pressed, her gaze fixed on her daughter.

Mrs. Xie couldn’t answer; she wasn’t clear on the details herself.

"Jie Jing... Chen accidentally injured me. I hit my head, and I lost my memory." Qin Mei caught herself, correcting the name just in time. ’One of them is Jie Jingchen’s grandmother, the other is his mother,’ she thought. ’It’s best not to drag him through the mud in front of them. I wouldn’t get any sympathy and would only make them resent me.’

Hearing this, neither woman spoke, their expressions growing complicated.

Qin Mei sighed inwardly with relief. ’Good thing I wasn’t stupid.’ If she and Jie Jingchen had a good relationship, his mother and grandmother would dote on her. Even if she were to fight with him, in their eyes it would be a case of "hitting is a form of affection, and scolding is a form of love." It would be seen as harmless. If they were in a good mood, they might even help her chew out Jie Jingchen, or perhaps join in on hitting him.